South Africa News Archives - AfricaBusiness.com

6Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

South African SMBs Confidently Chart Growth Amid Economic Uncertainties

Despite rising costs and global challenges, South African SMBs remain optimistic about the future as they ramp up digital investments Business confidence among South African SMBs remains strong at 78%, but opportunities abound to boost productivity and accelerate digital transformation. AI adoption gains traction, with two-thirds of South African SMBs investing in AI over the past year. Improved efficiency drive optimism, with 44% of SMBs citing it as a key factor behind their confidence. In an ever-changing economic landscape, South African (SA) Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) are proving their resilience and adaptability. Sage’s annual survey of 12,000 small and medium sized business leaders globally – ‘Small Business, Big Opportunity’ - reveals that 78% of SA SMBs ar...

5Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Events, South Africa News

Women Entrepreneurs in Focus as 2024 TWIBA Winners are Announced

- In South Africa, there are over 2.4 million women working in the community social services sector, nearly 1.56 million in the trade industry, and around 1.3 million in the finance sector. - As businesses grow, the gender gap becomes more pronounced, with male entrepreneurs having almost twice the number of established businesses (7.9%) compared to female entrepreneurs (4.1%). - This disparity highlights the greater challenges women face in sustaining their businesses, rather than just starting them. Women represent half of the global population, yet studies consistently show they are less involved in entrepreneurial activities compared to men. However, empowering women has proven to drive sustainable development. When women have equal access to economic opportunities, they not onl...

5Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, South Africa News

SOLA Group Reaches Major Milestone, Producing 1 Billion kWh of Clean Energy

Renewable energy provider SOLA Group has announced that it has successfully achieved its ambitious target of generating 1 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy by 2025—one month ahead of schedule. This milestone, reached at the beginning of December, marks a significant contribution to South Africa's renewable energy capacity and its shift toward a more sustainable energy mix, according to SOLA Managing Director, Katherine Persson. "Producing 1 billion kWh is enough to power almost all of Bloemfontein’s residential demand for an entire year. The majority of this energy was generated in recent months, showcasing the rapid increase in our clean electricity production," said Persson. Staying committed to its mission of community development, SOLA has focused on creating local emp...

1Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

10 Universal Mining Problems

OIM Consulting’s Group CEO Arjen De Bruin shares the most common workforce mining challenges found in Africa, Australia, South or North America – and what to do about them. When we’re faced with a seemingly insurmountable hurdle, many of us are guilty of believing that the problems we’re facing are unique to us only; and that there is no one else going through what we are. The same is true in the business world. For those working in mining in a particular region – be it Africa, Australia, South or North America – we see things through our regional lens, often not considering that the same day -to-day a challenges we face are similarly encountered by our global counterparts. Arjen de Bruin, Group CEO at OIM Consulting, says it is important to understand that many of the workforce challen...

1Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

Stellenbosch Business School’s Small Business Academy Empowers Entrepreneurs with Comprehensive Program

Stellenbosch Business School’s Small Business Academy (SBA), established in 2012, annually empowers small business owners through a transformative nine-month program designed to foster business growth and societal impact. Dr Armand Bam Head of the Social Impact and Small Business Academy Programme believes “that the programme allows entrepreneurs to further the growth of their businesses through Masterclasses and Networking opportunities. He emphasized that even after the program business owners should continue to be hungry in seeking growth on improving their businesses”. The SBA program offers a comprehensive curriculum covering Business Essentials, Finance, Marketing, and Business Proposals, culminating in a Business Plan Presentation. Participants benefit from continuous development...

27Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

Strategies to bridge the technical skills divide

By: Simon Bishop, Global Head of Talent Acquisition, SoftwareOne Organisations around the world - including in South Africa - face significant recruitment challenges, chasing the best technical talent available from a limited resource pool. SoftwareOne’s Cloud Skills Report, reporting research conducted in 2023, shows that this global shortage is impacting 98% of organisations, with delays in critical projects and missed financial targets due to the lack of cloud skills. This year, SoftwareOne sponsored the Institute of IT Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) Skills Report. The report highlights how the skills shortage in South Africa is inhibiting the country’s ability to leverage its digital economy, which is essential for economic growth and reducing unemployment. This, in turn, has ...

25Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

NIQ Retail Barometer: South Africans Expend R214 Billion on FMCG and Durable Goods in Q3 2024

South African consumers have spent R214 billion on Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Technology & Durable products in the third quarter of 2024, representing a year-over-year growth of 4.1%. This is according to new insight from the NIQ Retail Spend Barometer, which has been drawn from GfK – an NIQ company – intelligence and measures the turnover in sales of FMCG and non-food consumer products sold in retail stores nationwide. The NIQ Retail Spend Barometer provides a complete overview of South African spend for the FMCG sector (ambient and fresh food and drink, healthcare, toiletries, homecare and general merchandise) and for the Tech & Durables sector (technical consumer goods, household appliances and DIY). This cross-category and cross-channel overview is based on real sal...

21Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

Pay-as-you-go everything – innovation, the African way

Reach Africa’s Sales Director Leslie Adams discusses the rise of incremental purchasing and how it’s shifting the African economy In a Johannesburg township lives an entrepreneur; one who is going about his business in a uniquely African way. Miles Kubheka’s business ‘Gcwalisa’ is a shipping container-based retail outlet kitted out with bulk dispensers, apportioning essential goods like maize and sugar. The store operates on a weigh-and-pay basis: Kubheka purchases goods in bulk from food manufacturers, taking advantage of the wholesale discounts. He passes these savings on to his customers, who only pay for the amount they choose to purchase. Goods are brought home in reusable containers, further reducing costs. The idea behind Gcwalisa was born from the reality that many township resi...

17Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, South Africa News, Tech

SAFPS Warns: Technology is Emerging as a Major Battleground in the Fight Against Fraud

International Fraud Awareness Week is a global annual event dedicated to raising awareness about the widespread issue of fraud and showcasing the efforts across various sectors to combat this growing challenge. This year it takes place from November 17 to 24. "The role technology plays in fraud, and scams is becoming particularly challenging in South Africa," says Nazia Karrim, Head of Product Development at the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS), “with South Africa growing into an increasingly connected society, online fraud is a significant challenge that needs to be addressed." Be Careful of Business Email Compromise (BEC) The increased nature of technology-based fraud is evident in the recent statistics accompanying it. This is a significant challenge for companies th...

10Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

Magpie Instincts: Gathering Market Intelligence for Better B2B Strategies

By Kara Dean, Outbound Marketing and HubSpot Administrator With care, it gathers these shiny treasures and stores them in its nest. Now, think of your business as this magpie, but instead of trinkets, you're collecting valuable market insights. In today’s fast-paced B2B environment, companies that effectively gather and utilise these ‘shiny’ insights secure a clear advantage in decision-making and long-term growth. Uncovering Valuable Insights: What is Market Intelligence? Market intelligence involves gathering, analysing and applying information relevant to a company’s market, including customers, competitors, industry trends and regulations. It plays a crucial role in the B2B world, where decisions are complex and stakes are high. Market intelligence equips companies with a better un...